1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to torque converters and hydrokinetic torque coupling devices, and more particularly to torque converters and hydrokinetic torque coupling devices including turbine-piston lockup clutches for mechanically coupling driving and driven shafts.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, vehicles with automatic transmissions are equipped with a hydrokinetic torque coupling device for fluidly coupling the driving shaft of an engine to a driven shaft of a transmission. Lockup clutches are known for mechanically coupling the driving and driven shafts under certain operating conditions. Lockup clutches and their operation are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,276,723 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,191,879.
While hydrokinetic torque coupling devices with lockup clutches have proven to be useful for vehicular driveline applications and conditions, improvements that may enhance their performance and cost are possible.
As taught hereinbelow, such improvements may derive from, for example, reducing the spatial requirements of components of the hydrokinetic torque coupling device, consolidating functions of two or more components into a single component, and/or improving lockup operation.